More Human than Human
by Kibou32
Summary: Yaoi. Naruto is a private eye in search for the murderer of General Sarutobi. In comes the thought that things aren't always what they seem to be.


More Human than Human

More Human than Human

By: Kibou32

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: AU. Naruto's dreams has always been filled with things he may have done in the past. Now as a private eye asked to discover the murderer of General Sarutobi, he has to work with Uchiha Sasuke – the one person he never wanted to meet again. Will Gaara – his lover – be able to keep him sane enough to come out of everything alive? How will he handle the truth of Sasuke's feelings for him?

Pairings: Gaara + Naruto, Mentions of Iruka + Kakashi.

Warnings: There will be sex scenes – not so explicit, but enough that kiddies younger than 18 shouldn't read it without parental consent. This story will mention homosexual relationships and sex.

:-:

Part I

:-:

Sabakuno Gaara was used to everything by now. What with being the best prosecutor – next to Yamanaka Ino – in all Fire Country, he was decidedly used to everything. Except… maybe seeing his lover so distraught that he had started to make dinner himself. Naruto was a private detective that had gotten pretty well off in the last few years. Many had said that he didn't have the skills necessary to make it, but since the town they were last in… before they had decided to move… things had been looking up. Now returning from work, he found a pensive Naruto cooking. Naruto suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder and hyperactivity, these faults were sometimes – what Gaara would come to love in the end – the greatest virtues as whenever Naruto was brooding, the hyperactivity would loose a lot of its steam and Naruto would be able to concentrate into doing something that needed to be followed step by step in an orderly matter. Even so, Gaara could tell something was wrong with him when Naruto didn't respond to his 'tadaima' with an 'okaeri'.

"Koishii?" – Gaara asked concerned for his lover. Something was clearly bothering him

"Ah… gomen ne Gaara-kun. I was just thinking." – he said as he served them both some exotic salad that had mango bits in it and sat down to eat.

"Thinking and brooding are two different things. And we both know that what you were doing just now wasn't thinking, but brooding. Tell me what is wrong." – he demanded straight up. He disliked to be told half-truths and roundabout lies.

"I was offered General Sarutobi's murder case. Jiraiya pleaded me to take the case… but there's a catch." – he stopped playing with the fork to put his head in his hands.

"Do you have a problem working with the police? You've done it before…" – Gaara asked when he figured out part of the catch.

"No. My honorariums are being paid by an outsider, that being Sarutobi's grandson… but that's not even half of it… it seems that I'd have to work with the detectives that were handling the case in the first place. They've been at it for two months without getting any breakthrough." – Naruto avoided the real issue there, Gaara was sure of it.

"Well who are they? It can't be as bad as working with Inuzuka Kiba back home? Can it?" – he joked but stopped smirking in mirth when Naruto didn't join in.

"The detectives are no other than Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke." – Naruto stated softly.

Gaara was stumped. He had almost choked on the food – food that had already made its way past his throat – at the mere mention of _the_ Uchiha, let alone the memory of what Uchiha Sasuke had done to his koibito. He drunk some water to clear his throat and looked at the miserable blue eyes of his lover wondering what he could say to lighten things up.

"I'm tempted to just say no… but Sarutobi's second son, Asuma; says that he hates the stuck ups Uchiha brothers so much… they haven't made any leeway in the case and he's getting cranky. He wants his father's murderer brought to the fore as soon as possible. Something that hasn't happened in the two months since they began the investigation. They're seriously stumped. Ero-sensei even wanted to pull the plug on the case and put it under unresolved… but the Sarutobis' are adamant about wanting answers. They are an influential family and the…" – he stopped himself from saying anything else. Gaara had already clued in to the fact that he had been rambling. If his lover was already that flustered, it meant he was in deep conflict. He could tell that the perverted jerk of a police commissioner was pushing Naruto to move on.

He tried to contemplate on what to say next. Why on earth else would Sannin Jiraiya – the police's top man – call Naruto and tell him he had a spot for him at the detective's lair to work in and then when he comes back into this annoying town, he is to meet the Uchiha brothers and work with them?! He smelled something fishy going on. Before he could make light of these suspicions to his lover, there was a knock on their door – the doorbell was unavailable just yet due to the reparations and new décor they were bringing up into his family's old place – and he saw Naruto get up and go get it. And… speaking of the devil… Uchiha Itachi had just come in to their home.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner." – he said when he idly found their plates still filled with food on their oak dinner table. He was wearing a dark blue suit, with a dark blue tie that had little red and white fans loitering about. Gaara admired how it fit the Uchiha, before he sniffed dismissively and began to gather their uneaten plates in an attempt to clear the table. It was obvious he was here for business.

"Don't bother. I'm only here to deliver the case's files. I'm aware Naruto-kun hasn't accepted the job just yet, but I thought that maybe if he took a look at the evidence he might be able to see something there that we had previously missed…" – here he stopped talking when Gaara snorted at the insinuated presumption that even if his lover didn't take the case, his observations might still work in their favor.

"…" – Naruto (Gaara could see this quite as clear as Itachi) was struggling with the new turn of events. So Gaara just took it in strides and said…

"What about your brother Itachi-san? I'm sure you are aware of my husband's past involving with him…" – he trailed off hinting at a past he didn't want to revisit but would for the sake of his lovers' well being in the end.

He saw how both Itachi and Naruto stiffened to the accusation in his words. He mentally apologized to his lover, but either way reveled in Itachi's discomfort at the mention of a past all present wanted to very much forget. He saw how he dropped a box filled to the brim with papers on the floor and then grabbed a chair to take a seat.

"Very well. I was sure you did not want to be reminded of it. You are correct in that my brother is working with me on this investigation. We are both aware of how much of a disturbed individual my brother was – still is as a matter of fact – but even with all of what we know… I assure you that Sasuke will not attack Naruto-kun like he did years ago. He has undergone psychological therapy with a well-known shrink. His conduct will be purely professional when Naruto-kun comes to converse about the case. You have my word of honor that he will not do anything towards him." – Itachi smoothly stated.

Gaara was not so easily convinced. Had he been someone else, he might've taken Itachi at face-value. But since he was not, he would not cater to the older man in front of them. He was a lawyer damn it, and he would not be taken as a fool.

"I would rather that your brother not be involved in this case at all." – and then he smirked evilly knowing that he had bested Itachi in a game of wits.

"Itachi-san…" – Naruto quietly began to say to get his attention back at him. "I will take the case only due to Sarutobi's son's and grandson's insistence. I would like, however; that you not speak so familiarly with me. I am no longer the naïve 10 year old that your brother molested and raped, but I'm neither as callous as to deny Sasuke the chance at succeeding… so, I only ask that when there is something to be spoken of related to the case, that only you and I will speak. I will not deal with Sasuke. If you pin me against him, be assure that any breakthrough I've made on the case will be for naught because our agreement will have ended. I will not work with someone who doesn't abide by my rules." – and Gaara felt triumph go through his whole body at how Naruto had once again said that he was not someone so weak that he couldn't deal with reality. He had won more than just a battle of wits, he had won a war. Uchiha Itachi will not make the same assumption again and take Naruto lightly.

"There will not be any contact with my otouto." – he said as he stood up. They shook hands as Naruto said…

"No contact whatsoever or the deal is off Itachi-san." – and with that he led the tall man out the door.

:-:

Kakashi was sure that Itachi would keep the end of the bargain, even if it killed him. To Itachi – a weasel in his own right – honor was much more important than anything his brother might've tried to achieve by getting to meet Naruto again, even after all these years. However, Sasuke was as unpredictable as Naruto; and he could be sure that his favorite blond would be meeting Sasuke face to face in the near future. He just hoped that he maintained that 'Don't fuck with me' image for as long as possible. Even so, these new turn of events were minor in comparison to what he had to talk about with him. He decided to shut the camera off and wait until Naruto left in the morning for his daily mile run.

:-:

Gaara gasped when Naruto thrust deep into him, hitting that spot and driving him wild with lust. His lover was acting oddly dominating ever since the visit of the Uchiha and even if he hated that man, he was internally grateful that he was enjoying this now. He wouldn't say so… but Naruto always made love to him at night. He didn't do this unless something had seriously ticked him off. And Gaara could tell as Naruto once again fucked him, that he was still seriously pissed off. He nuzzled his lover's neck, lovingly bestowing kisses on a sweaty cheek before gasping as he began to orgasm hard. When he finally had gotten his breath back, he noticed that Naruto hadn't finished off and was still inside of him throbbing and hard. He caressed the tousle blond hair with his hands and nudged him softly with his other hand.

"If you want…" – he was about to offer a blowjob to make him come, he was in no shape to take another heart-shattering orgasm after the last one.

He watched as his lover pulled – gently – out of him and laid back down next to him. His blue eyes were shining with love and trust that Gaara could feel his length grow hard once again. But as always, he had to ask before entering his lover.

"You want it?" – he asked confused and maybe a bit touched that his lover wanted to be uke when he usually did not like it due to a past that was better left forgotten.

"Gaara… please!" – he heard his lover beg and he needed no more encouragement to grab the lube and begin to enter him slowly, taking his time. It was always a tight squeeze and even then… his lover still looked at him calmly.

They continued on slowly and then Gaara couldn't stop himself from taking his husbands to delirious pleasure, to that precipice that always led them to lie together in the end.

:-:

Kakashi was a pervert, there was no denying that. He was a seasoned voyeur… but watching those two… it humbled him. He couldn't for the life of him stop himself from watching. It should have bothered him as there was the fact that he was beginning to feel the stirrings of arousal in his gut, but it didn't. Even when he saw how Naruto had given the reins to his lover, he didn't feel wrong for spying on them. As they finally just laid down to sleep, cuddling each other, he turned off the cameras that he had set up in the Sabakuno residence to make sure no harm befell his charge – although Naruto had long ago stopped being his adopted 'little brother/son' – and proceeded to stake out the front door until Naruto woke up for his daily morning run.

When that happened, he was almost thinking that he wouldn't due to the activities of the night before but he was happy that his ex-charge was if nothing but predictable and said…

"Yo!"

The informal salutation brought Naruto to thinking that maybe he was still asleep. He brushed his knuckles softly over his eyes to rub away the sleeping grains of sand that the sandman 'Morpheus' put in him every night to make him fall asleep, and when the mirage repeated his greeting with a one eye happy smile, he understood that this wasn't a dream… this was a nightmare.

"GYAH!!" – he immediately backpedaled trying to grab the door knob to open it and then tried to open it. When that didn't work, he immediately swung a fist for Kakashi's masked face which was immediately blocked.

"Oof!" – Kakashi responded as he was caught by surprised due to Naruto's well-placed knee kick into his diaphragm.

Once there was calm from both parties involved, Naruto grabbed Kakashi by his black sport's jacket lapels and yanked him inside his place after pushing the door open with a bang and closing it with a bang as well as he kicked it shut.

"Well… if I knew you were this eager to see me…" – Kakashi started to say salaciously when Naruto himself hissed.

"Save it! What are you doing here?!"

"I…" – he looked to the side as if he were a bit embarrassed for disappearing from Naruto's life so suddenly and not coming back for the last ten years.

"Kakashi!?" – Naruto warned the other man of his limited patience.

For a second Kakashi thought he saw Naruto's sky blue eyes flash red, but he shook it away from his mind.

"Ah… well you see… I took a trip to Wave Country and then I bypassed over to Snow… it was there I managed to find what I was looking for!" – he once again eye-smiled at Naruto.

"I don't have the sanity to deal with you… just get on with what you're trying to say!?" – Naruto hissed out again trying – in vain – to calm himself down.

"That was… your father's inheritance to you." – he said as he lowered his face to almost touching his lips.

He knew that Naruto didn't like men kneeling over as if to kiss him. The only one who could do that and get away with it was his lover Gaara and that was that. It gave him bad memories of what had happened before with the Uchiha brat. He watched as Naruto contemplated the response before sighing and releasing Kakashi from his position at the wall.

"Kakashi… I've been an orphan most of my life… Jiraiya was just kidding when he said he had known my biological father."

"Actually… no. He wasn't kidding. He just couldn't decipher the riddles your father left as clues to get your inheritance. Just last year I was able to find the answers for those riddles…" – he said with a proud tone of voice.

Naruto looked at him like he had gone off the deep end.

"And what did my honorable father left me? Not that I'm in need of anything…" – he mumbled out last.

"Well… he didn't leave you debts if you think that was it… those would have come at you the minute he died." – Kakashi joked but stopped when he saw that Naruto didn't like it as much as he thought he would. He went on to say by showing him two items Naruto hadn't taken much notice until now: "He left you a ton of money – that you can talk to Sarutobi Asuma since he's in charge of it and whatnot, a katana and this necklace."

Naruto contemplated these events. He didn't know what to say so he stayed silent. The best policy to follow was that, if you have nothing to say then say nothing at all. He just decided he needed to sit down. So he did as he slid down the floor by the wall. Kakashi was solemn now that the younger man he used to be a guardian to slid down the floor and bent his knees to hug them close to his body. He supposed this was as big a shock as being told that he'd have to stand before a jury after the ordeal of being raped and questioned by the police. He decided he would sit beside him on the floor for a second more.

:-:

When Gaara awoke two hours later, he found his koibito wasn't in bed with him, so he shrugged and decided to move – gingerly at first – towards the bathroom to groom himself for another day at work. Once he was dressed impeccably in his Ralph Lauren suit – one of his favorites given to him by his oldest sibling; Temari – and settled himself with the same quiet self-confidence to see what his koishi had left him for breakfast. What he found annoyed and distressed him greatly. He forgot that he was wearing a suit and jumped down on the strange man that seemed to be – from his perspective anyway – looming threateningly over his lover.

They tussled back and forth on the floor making such a ruckus that woke his koibito from the fitful sleep he had fallen in on the floor by the door.

"What on earth?!" – Naruto cried as he scrambled on his legs to see Kakashi tried to break away from the surprisingly great strength that Gaara had displayed by jumping at him from the side. Kakashi decided right then and there to never underestimate the redhead again.

When the tussle and tumble did not stop at Naruto's pleas, he grabbed a pitcher with icy water from the cooler and slung the contents over at the two of them thoroughly soaking Gaara's stylish jacket and Kakashi's mask. They immediately sprung apart gasping whilst they tried to get their breathing and their wits under control. It was Gaara who spoke first, now angry that he was soaked through and through and that he'd have to change and also wondering why on earth his lover had flung icy water on him instead of calling the police.

"Who the fuck are you?!" – he yelled and Kakashi decided now was a good time to introduce himself.

"Hatake Kakashi. Domo." – was all he said which annoyed Gaara greatly as that didn't explain what or why was he doing near Naruto.

"Kakashi! Gaara… he used to be my guardian up until I went to college." – he explained hurriedly fearing that his red hot blooded lover would confuse the events more and threaten to call the police himself.

There was silence. Gaara reigned in his anger and closed his eyes. By counting to ten and inhaling – exhaling his breath, he was able to calm himself down completely. Then he directed his eyes to search his koibito's blue ones to assure himself that he wasn't lying. To which he saw that he had been annoyed and distressed over nothing. What a bad day this was turning out to be!

"Then…?" – Gaara asked as if wanting to know why the man was here at all. What was the purpose of the sudden visit?

"I am _so_ glad to hear that I still look fabulous enough to generate jealousy!" – Kakashi exclaimed once again his own salacious perverted self.

It took Naruto hugging his lover – wet jacket, shirt and all – to prevent him from attacking his estranged guardian.

"Kakashi came forth today to talk to me about some sort of inheritance my biological father left me I had no idea I was privy to. This is why the old pervert is here for. As for the reason why he came in here so early in the morning… he's weird like that." – Naruto shrugged once he was sure Gaara would not leap over him to throttle the older man.

He smirked as he watched from the corner of his eye at how Kakashi seemed to be feeling forlorn for being called 'old'.

"I see." – was what Gaara said. Naruto worried his lover was angry with him for something, but decided to lead him to the phone so that he'd call in sick to the office. He was sure that his koibito wouldn't leave him alone with the older man until he knew of everything.

:-:

Once he had changed into comfortable clothes, Gaara sat down directly in front of Kakashi to keep an eye on him. He didn't trust the man anymore than he did a would be murderer. Experience had taught him that men that covered their faces – or most of their faces anyway – had something to hide. He was content to await for his lover to serve breakfast to him – first! Ha! Take that estranged guardian! – then Kakashi second and himself last. He was happy for having breakfast with his lover and he would have been happier if it hadn't been for the intrusion of the man in front of him who called himself to be Naruto's guardian. He tried to find a way to start conversation and finally found something worthwhile to nag the man in front of him. _That _man rubbed his skin the wrong way and he'd do anything to antagonize him and cause him some pain – nevermind that he was acting like a petulant child – and if the mention of some name would cause him pain then he'd be fine with it.

"Then if he's who he says he is, what was Umino Iruka to you?" – Gaara asked calmly whilst directing his question to Naruto.

Naruto – knowing his lover was into fiscal attorney mode – sighed. He directed his thoughts inwards as if trying to find a way to put it nicely, but he doubted any less than the truth would satiate his lover's quest for blood. He could see Kakashi was already feeling forlorn. This was a very touchy subject for the man.

"Iruka is an important person in my life. I met him through Kakashi… they used to be lovers." – he said in the end.

Kakashi looked to be even more in despair. Naruto didn't know what to do. He wasn't sadistic by nature and he disliked causing people pain, but he didn't want to be at odds with his lover should he disrupt his mood. So he said nothing.

"Really? What happened?" – he asked in a seemingly innocent way and if Kakashi hadn't been so caught up in past memories of a time with Iruka, he would've recognized that the younger man was questioning him was anything but innocent.

"Iruka decided he wanted to have a wife and kids." – Kakashi said in the end feeling morose and tired.

Seeing this, Gaara decided to let the subject be. He had gotten his good punch line and all that, but he could tell that Naruto didn't want to hurt his guardian anymore. He sighed inwardly and asked…

"So what's Naruto's biological father's name?" – he asked a bit nonchalantly.

Kakashi didn't answer at first, but then when he caught up to the question he grinned – even though only Naruto could tell he was smiling underneath his mask – and said…

"Namikaze Minato."

There was silence. Naruto – who didn't really care if his late father was a billionaire or not – wondered why Gaara looked to be too astounded to speak.

"So… then if that was my father's name, why wasn't I given his last name instead of mother's?" – he asked softly.

"Well… the thing is that your father's death was out of the ordinary. He was in his late thirties and was an upcoming businessman. He had money, power and whatnot. Your mother and him were going to get married before your birth, but then he started getting these threats… Jiraiya said that the only reason your mother didn't give you his last name was due to the fact that she was afraid whoever had killed your father would come after you if you carried his name, so it was instructed that you wouldn't know of him until you were the legal age of 24. So here I am." – he said happily at Naruto.

Said blond was still processing what he had said and asked one last question that had been building and festering in his head since he had seen Kakashi at his door that morning.

"Does my father's death have something to do with the death of General Sarutobi?" – and awaited from a response that wasn't likely to come anytime soon.


End file.
